The present invention relates to a light bulb assembly, and particularly to such an assembly useful as a miniature lamp.
One common form of light bulb assembly used, for example, in miniature lamps for Christmas tree decorations, includes a light bulb, a base receiving the light bulb, and a socket receiving the base. The light bulb includes an envelope and a pair of electrically-conductive wires projecting from one end Of the envelope, which wires are passed through the base and folded back over the outside of the base to fix the light bulb to the base. The base, with the light bulb fixed to it, is inserted into the socket and is retained therein by a friction fit between the base and socket.
However, a friction fit between the base and socket is not always sufficient to positively retain the light bulb and its base within the socket. As a result, it frequently happens, particularly under rough handling conditions, that the light bulb and its base separate from the socket.
One solution to this problem was to provide a wire-type clamp passing through the socket and the base to positively fix the base to the socket. However, this solution requires the addition of an extra element, which thereby increases the overall cost of the assembly; moreover, it requires an extra manipulation in passing the wire clamp through the socket and the base, thereby increasing the cost of assembling the base to the socket.